Tua Tagovailoa suffered significant regression in his overall numbers with the Miami Dolphins during the 2025 NFL season. His tight end, Darren Waller, recently speculated about what may be causing his struggles. He pointed to his extensive injury history and the potentially lasting impact of his multiple concussions.
What Does Dolphins TE Darren Waller Think Explains Why Tua Tagovailoa Has Regressed?
Tagovailoa is coming off a massively disappointing year in which his stats were down, and the Dolphins completely missed the playoffs. He played in 14 games, the second most in any season of his career, so he remained relatively healthy by his standards.
Waller recently pointed out that the long-term impact of his multiple head injuries may be playing a direct role in the quarterback’s decline. He speculated as to why during an appearance on the “Glory Daze” podcast with Johnny Manziel.
“From my standpoint, the skill set for him is still there. What I think some of the disconnect comes from, seeing it translate, I think there could be some trauma still stored in his body from what he’s gone through with the head injuries … I can notice him trying to make things happen in the game, he’s trying to pull the trigger, but it’s like his body, his system, won’t let him do it. I think if there’s a way for him to find some healing in that regard, I think the skill set is still there,” explained Waller.
Tagovailoa finished his 2025 campaign ranked just 27th among all quarterbacks in PFSN’s QB Impact Metric, which was his worst finish in any season since his rookie year. He also set a career-high by throwing 15 interceptions on his way to a career-worst 6-8 record as a starter.
Report:
TE Darren Waller thinks QB Tua Tagovailoa still struggles with trauma from head injuries.
— NFL Talk (@NFL_Talk_Sports) January 16, 2026
He has suffered at least three diagnosed concussions, including two in the same season, which is surely concerning for any player and their long-term health. Repeated head injuries can reportedly have lasting effects, and Waller believes this is what has been going on with the veteran quarterback.
Whether due to injuries or not, the Dolphins’ failures during the 2025 NFL season led to the firing of general manager Chris Grier and head coach Mike McDaniel. This means they will have new leadership next season, which further clouds Tagovailoa’s future in his position. He is still under contract, but the franchise may decide to go in a different direction amid all of the other major changes this year.
